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Rocky and Bullwinkle
Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose are the main characters of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, an American animated television series produced by Jay Ward, which, though originally aired on ABC, was moved to NBC in 1961 and remained there until 1964 when the show got cancelled. The duo are anthropomorphic-animal characters, Rocky a plucky flying squirrel and Bullwinkle a dimwitted but good-hearted moose, who go on adventures to confront their Russian-like spy adversaries, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. They are also accompanied by a large supporting cast that includes (among other characters) the Canadian mountie Dudley Do-Right, a boy named Sherman, and his intellectual talking-dog friend Mr. Peabody. History with the Macy's Parade Bullwinkle J. Moose Because of the franchise's major popularity throughout the early 1960s, a Bullwinkle balloon was created for the Parade in 1961. Here, Bullwinkle is dressed in a red and white striped bathing suit. This balloon is 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide, one of the bigger balloons to be made during this era. A smaller balloon of Rocky was originally planned to be made the same year to go along with Bullwinkle, but ended up being rejected by Goodyear. This was because they calculated that Rocky would have to be disproportionate to the 65-foot Bullwinkle balloon in order to be able to fly. As a result, the beloved moose had to appear in the Parade alone. This balloon, like many in the time period, became an instant parade classic and continued to appear for nearly 20 years after his original show ended in 1964. In fact, Bullwinkle is tied with the Happy Dragon for being the parade's most recurring balloon; both appeared twenty-three times. The balloon was finally retired in 1983, due to significant aging over the years. That same year, it made an appearance alongside Woody Woodpecker to celebrate the opening of a Macy's store in Aventura, Florida. This original Bullwinkle balloon still exists and resides at the float warehouse, and is one of the oldest-surviving balloons. Rocky and Bullwinkle After an attempt to bring back the original balloon failed (see below), a new Bullwinkle balloon was made in 1996, and this time, he wears a Wossamotta U sweater, and for the first time ever, he's joined by his best friend and sidekick Rocky the Flying Squirrel, as a callback to the original plans for Bullwinkle's debut in 1961. That year, the balloon was selected to be the Holiday Ambassador, and a walk-around version of Bullwinkle appeared in the parade. The Rocky and Bullwinkle balloon was the first balloon in the parade's history to have a separate balloon attachment. The propeller on Bullwinkle's head was a separate balloon that was inflated first, then attached to Bullwinkle's head. It also had a motor so the propeller span around on Bullwinkle's head during the parade. This also made it the first animated balloon in the parade. The duo did not appear in the 1997 and 1998 parades for unknown reasons, although it is likely that the Parade Studio wanted to keep their balloon safe from the strong winds and rainfall which could have destroyed it. After two years of absence, Rocky & Bullwinkle finally made their second parade appearance together in 1999. During their last appearance, in 2000 ― which was to promote their new CGI feature film ― Rocky was not seen with Bullwinkle because he had deflated during preparation. Although the balloon was promised to reappear in 2001, They didn't and the balloon was retired after 2000, and it is unknown if they will return in a future Parade. This balloon still survives at the float warehouse. Incidents * In 1964, Bullwinkle was pushed by winds and almost collided into the crowd. * In 1971, Bullwinkle, along with every other balloon, could not be inflated due to extreme weather. * In 1982, after Bullwinkle started the parade, he collided with traffic lights at the start of the parade so his nose started to deflate. The balloon struggled along the route until having to be taken out four blocks before the finish line. * In 1983, his last appearance in his original design, Bullwinkle's head and legs were pushing due to heavy winds and rain, but the balloon wasn't damaged, even though he was clearly showing his age. * In 2000, only Bullwinkle was seen in the Parade, as Rocky had sprung a leak during preparation. Defects * In 1976, Bullwinkle's left finger was deflated. * In 1977, Bullwinkle's left ear was deflated. * In 1983, Bullwinkle's right hand was deflated * In 1996, Bullwinkle's backpack was deflated. Music Below, you will find a list of the music tracks that played during the balloon's appearance on the NBC telecast. * Generic Macy's Music (1961-1983) * The Bullwinkle Show theme remix (1996, 1999-2000) Trivia * The eye pupils on the original Bullwinkle balloon are blue, which is inconsistent with his animated appearance, his pupils are actually black. * The original Bullwinkle was originally going to be brought back in 1996 to celebrate the parade's 70th anniversary, but plans for that were scrapped due to the balloon's age and leaks from collisions with lampposts. Balloons *Bullwinkle J. Moose (1961-1983) *Rocky and Bullwinkle (1996, 1999-2000) Total appearances-26 Gallery Gallery: Rocky and Bullwinkle Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1996 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Comeback Balloon in the Parade Category:Retired Balloons Category:Cartoon Characters Category:1960s Balloons Category:1990s Balloons Category:TV Characters Category:Male Balloons Category:Multi-Character Balloons Category:Animated Balloons Category:Balloons used outside of the parade Category:Goodyear Balloons Category:Raven Aerostar Balloons Category:Balloons that got removed from the parade Category:Balloons that were in an accident Category:Movie Characters